Well-drilling machine.



R. M. & J. L. DOWNIE & H. E. TURNER.

WELL DRILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1912.

1,096,022. Patented May 12, 1914.

09 Q o c) O INVENTORS, WITNESSES ATTORN EY R. M. & J. L. DOWNIE & H. E. TURNER.

WELL DRILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESSES R. M. & J. L. DOWNIE & H. E. TURNER.

WELL DRILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.22, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES u fyYwm ATTO RN EY R. M. & J. L. DOWNIE & H. E. TURNER.

WELL DRILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

T'NVENTORS 67 WITNESSES ATTORNEY SA ES PANT @FFTQE.

ROBERT M. DOWNIE, OF BEAVER FALLS, AND JAMES L. DOW'NIE, OF DOW'NIEVILLE,

PENNSYLVANIA, AND HARRY E. TURNER, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGN- ORS TO KEYSTONE DRILLER COMPANY, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

WELL-DRILLING MACHINE.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, ROBERT M. Dowmn, of Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, J AMES' L. :DOWNIE, of Downicville, Butler county, State of Pennsylvania, and HARRY E. T UR- KER, of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Vell- Drilling Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in well drilling machines, and its object is to provide a well drilling machine in which a wire rope or cable may be used to carry and operate the drilling tool.

A wire rope, usually made of steel wire, is practically inextensible under the stresses to which it is submitted when used as a carrier for the drilling tool in well drilling machinery, and while attempts have heretofore been made to utilize wire rope for the purpose, they have proven impracticable, and Manila rope or the like, because of its capability of stretch or elongation under the exigencies of use, has been employed as a tool carrier in well drilling machines to the exclusion of the far more durable steel rope.

In well drilling machines of the portable type by which wells are drilled, usually for the purpose of obtaining water. thereis customarily provided a mast or derrick carrying at or near its top a sheave over which the tool carrying rope is passed, and there.is also provided a walking beam consisting of a suitable frame pivoted at the end remote from the mast or derrick. The walking beam carries sheaves around which the tool carrying rope is passed and from which it extends ultimately to a drum from which the rope is unwound from time to time as needed to accommodate the drill to the increasing depth of the well or bore. The walking beam is reciprocated on a horizontal axis when the machine is in operation, and as the drum carried end of the rope or cable is held stationary, the movement of the walking beam causes a rise and fall of the drill by the changingrelation of the walking beam carried sheaves to the derrick carried sheave. A Manila rope or a rope of like character is Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 22, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Serial No. 672,633.

' capable of considerable elongation, and is somewhat elastic in the direction of its length, so that when the walking beam rises and the drill therefore drops, the elongation of the rope under the action of the weight of the drill will cause the drill to move to a greater extent toward the bottom of the well' or bore than would be the case with an inextensible rope or cable, wherefore the machine is saved from the effects of shock and jar, these effects being neutralized by the elasticity of the rope.

It has been proposed to use steel rope and to neutralize the ettects of the shocks and jars due to the inelast-icity or inextensibility of the steel rope by providing one of the sheaves with an elastic mounting. Such mountings, however, do not answer the conditions to be met and the use of the Man-ilm rope still prevails, although its life is shortand the expense of renewals is comparatively great.

By the present invention every part of the well. drilling machine subjected to the action of the wire rope or cable is made elastic or yielding so that at no point is there a rigid or unyielding connection between the rope or cable and the body of the machine, and, therefore, all shocks and jars heretofore found destructive are absorbed and the power so stored by the elastic means is utilized in the operation of the machine.

The stated features of the invention and also other features thereof will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that while the drawings illustrate a practical form of the invention it is susceptible of other practical embodiments which though ditl'ering in details of construction, embody the same principles of operation, and, therefore, the invention is not limited to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a well drilling machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, the upper end of the derrick or mast being omitted. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, with the Eli derrick or mast in cross section. Fig.3 is a vertical longitudinal and substantially central section of a portion of the walking beam. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the upper end of the mast when in the upright position. Fig. 5 issa central longitudinal section of the uppervend of the derrick and drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 4. Fig. 6 1s a section on the line 6 -6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2 but drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig, 1 but drawn to a larger scale and omitting distant parts. Fig. 9 is a section on the line 99 of Fig. 1 but drawn to a larger scale and omitting distant parts. 1

Referring to the drawings there is shown a vehicle frame comprising side members or sills 1 and cross members 2, and this frame, which may follow the general con.- struction of well drilling machines, is mounted upon wheels 3, 4, respectively, so that the machine may be transported from place to place. In order to strengthen the machine, truss rods 5, 6 are provided. For power purposes any type of prime mover may be employed, such as a steam engine, an explosion engine, or. an electric motor, and while in the drawing there is shown a steam engine 7 as the prime mover, it will be understood that this showing is simply typical of any source of power suitable for the purpose. Customarily the engine 7 is located near one end of the vehicle, while erected at the ends of the frame are posts 8 and 9, respectively, the posts 8 being adjacent the end of the frame occupied by the engine and the posts 9 being ad acent the end of the frame remote from the engine. The posts 8 are rendered firm by braces 10 and the posts 9 are also rendered firm by braces 11. The posts 9 have secured thereto by hinges 12 one end of a derrick or mast 18, such as is commonly employed in connection. with well drilling machines, the hinges 12 permitting the folding of the mast down upon the vehicle so as to lie comparatively flat when the machine is being transported from place to place and the derrick is provided with braces 14 which may be connected by bolts 15 to brackets 16 upstanding from the posts 6. The brackets 16 also carry, by means of, pivot bolts 17, one end of a walking beam frame 18, the other end of the frame being in embracing relation to the posts 9 carrying the derrick 13, and the walking beam at the end remote from its pivot supports 17 is connected by pitmen 19, one to a crank wheel 20 at one end of a shaft 21, and the other to a crank 22 at the other end of the shaft 21, so that on the rotation 'of the shaft 21. an up and down movement is imparted to the corresponding end of the walking beam in the manner and for the purpose common to well drilling machines,

resents the construction so far described following in. general the usual construction of well drilling machines,

The shaft 21 is mounted at one .end in a fixed bearing 23 secured to a beam 2d supported by a respective sill 1 through the intermediary ofspacing blocks 25, and at the other end the shaft 21 is mounted in a movable'bearing 26 carried by a beam 27 mounted on the other sill 1 through the intermediary of spacing blocks 25. The two beams 24: and 27 are each secured at one end to a respective post 9, while at the other end of the beam 27 there is secured another post 28 extending'above the beam 27 and carrying a brake block 29 to which reference will hereinafter be made. The post 28 is braced by a connecting rod 30 extending to the corresponding post 9. The bearing 26 is connected by a link 31 to a lever 32 pivoted at one end in a bracket 33 carried by the respective post 9, and at the other end formed into a handle 34, the arrangement being such that the lever 32 may be adjusted at the will of an operator to move the bearing 26 lengthwise of the beam 27 for an appropriate distance for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

' Mounted in suitable bearings 35 on the beams 24l and 27 is a powershaft 36 carrying at one end a belt pulley 37 receiving motion through a belt 38 coming from the engine 7, Or the pulley 37 and belt 38 may be taken as typical of any means of driving the shaft 36. Secured to the shaft 36 at one end therei of is a pinion 89 and the crank wheel 26 is shown as formed with peripheral teeth so that on the movement of the bearing 26 the wheel 20 may be moved into or out of'mesh with the pinion 39 as the operator may desire. It is not mandatory that power be transmitted. from the power shaft 36 to the crank shaft 21 by means of gearing, such as shown, for other power transmitting means may be employed.

The beams 2- and 27 on the side of the shaft 36 remote from the shaft21 also carry other bearings 40 for a shaft 41 and on this shaft between the bearings there is secured a reel or winding drum L2at one end of which the shaft carries a worm gear wheel 43, and at the other end a friction wheel {it in position to engage the'brake 29 when moved thereagainst. The bearing it) car-- ried by the beam 27 has an eccentric 45 therein. through which theshaft l1 extends, and in which it is directly mounted, and this eccentric is under the control of a lever a6 secured at one end to the eccentric and at the other end to a rod 17 extending through a guide bracket 48 near that end of the corresponding sill 1 remote from the engine 7, and which for-convenienceof description may be termed the front end of the sill. The rod 47 at its front end is formed with roeaoaa a handle 49 in convenient position for manipulation by an operator. By means of the eccentric the corresponding end of the shaft 41 may be shifted lengthwise of the beam 27, whereby the friction wheel 4% may be moved into and out ofengagenient with the brake block 29 and when'moved into engagement with the brake block the degree of pressure exerted is in accordance with the desire of the operator. The power shaft 36 also carries a friction wheel in the path of the friction wheel i i, so that when the latter is moved out of engagement with the brake block 29 it may be moved into engagement with the friction wheel 50 for, actuation by the power shaft. The shaft 36 also carries adjacent the friction wheel 50 another friction wheel 51 in position to engage a friction wheel 52 on another shaft 53 carried by bearings 54 in turn carried by brackets 55 made fast to the respective beams 24 and E27, and to the posts 5),. the shaft 53 being thereby in a higher position than the shafts 21 and 36. The shaft 53 also carries a head 56 spaced from the friction wheel :52, which latter may be shaped to coact with the head 56 to constitute one head. of a winding drum for a purpose to be described. The bearing for the shaft 53 adjacent the friction wheel or head may also be provided witi an eccentric 57, like the iccentric a5, and this eccentric 57 is provided with a rock arm 58 connected by a link 59 to lever (30 mounted on the ccrresponding post 9 in position for ready manipulation by an operator and adjacent the love By this means the shaft 53 may be moved at the end carrying the friction wheel 52 toward and from the shaft 36 so that the friction wheels 51 and 52 may be brought into operative engagement or moved out of engagement, as desired, and for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. The worm wheel i3 is normally engaged by a worm 31 rigidly mounted on a shaft 62. brackets 63, Get, and this shaft is extended to the front of the machine where it may be further journaled in another bracket 65, and at the front of the machineearries a crank 66, so that the shaft may be rotated at will. Surrounding the shaft 62 between the worm 61 and the bearing bracket {is is a spring 67, which will yield to a movement of the shaft 62 length 'ise through its bearings in one direction, while a move ment of the shaft in the other direction lengthwise will disengage the worm 61 from the worm gear 43, the space between the bearing brackets 63 and 6% being snihcient for this purpose.

At that end of the derrick 13 remote from the hinges -12 and which when the derrick is in operative position constitutes the upper end thereof, there is mounted a frame 68,

The shaft is mounted in spaced best shown in Figs. 5 and 6. This frame is indicated as an elongated substantially rectangular structure capable of sliding between guide blocks 69 carried by the upper end of the derrick 13, the opposing faces of the guide blocks being substantially parallel. Thatend of the frame 68 which constitutes its upper end in operation, has journaled thereto a crown pulley or sheave 70 about which there is passed a rope 71 at one end connected to the winding drum or reel 42 and at the other end carrying a drill which, however, is not shown in the drawings, but

the rope 71 is indicated in Fig. 1 as extending between the front portion of the walking beam 18 and into the upper end of a well casing 72, the machine being shown in Fig. l as in operative relation to a well typified by the casing 72. The derrick 13 at a point below the guide blocks 69, considering the derrich as upright, carries a plate 72 with a central passage 7 3 therein, and surrounding this passage 73 the plate has a hollow boss T4 extending thererroin toward the lower end of the frame 68, and the latter carries a similar boss Y5. Surrounding the two bosses and 75 and extending between them is a sprin 76 tending to support the frame while extending through the bosses is a bolt or rod 1 whereby the tension of the spring 7 may be determined, and whereby the rise of the frame 68 under the action of the supporting spring 75 may be limited. A movement of the frame 68 in its guides in a direction to compress the spring 76 is al 0 iii The frame 68 is provi ed on opposite sides with alined slots 78 through which there en tends a rod or shaft "(9 fixed in the sides of the derrick and carrying within the frame 68 a sheave or pulley 89 over which there is passed a rope 81, which at one end is wound upon the shaft 53 between the heads 52 and 56, and at the other end carries a sand pump 82. The pulley 80 does not participate in the movements of the frame 68, which, because of its elast c support, may be termed a floating frame. The sand pump, tog ther with its carrying rope 81 and the winding mechanism therefor do not enter into the present invention, and, consequently need no further description. The rope 71, however, is a steel rope W'JllCh may be made upof a suitable number of wires twisted together in the manner commonly employed in the manufacture of wire rope, and part of the struc tnres already described and the structures about to be described have to do with the use of such a wire rope in well drilling machinery.

The walking beam 18 carries two sheaves 83 and 84, respectively, the sheave 83 being rited by the bosses 7 and 75 which are so located near the derrick when erected and the sheave 84 being located near the pivoted or rear end of the walking beam. The sheave 88, which is a spudding sheave, is mounted in a yoke 85 on one end of a rod 86 movable lengthwise through a crossbar 87 carried by the walking beam frame, this cross bar being held to the side members of the frame by clips 88, or in any other suitable manner. The rod 86 extends through and beyond the cross bar 87 and at the end is threaded for the application of a nut 89 retaining a washer 90 on the rod, and between this washer 90 and the bar 87 the rod is surrounded by a spring 91 tending to hold the yoke 85 against the beam 87, but when suiiicient force is applied to the sheave 83 the spring will yield and the sheave will move away from the bar87. The rope 71 is carried downward, around and under the sheave 83 when the derrick is upright, and thence along the length of the walking beam to the sheave 84 over, around and under which the rope 71 passes directly to the winding drum or reel 42, which is located at a lower point than the sheaves 83 and 8-1 and closer to the front of the machine than the sheave 84. The yoke 85 is braced bybars 92 extending from opposite sides thereof to the I'BSPBCtlVESldQ members of thewalking beam 18 and the bars 92 are pivotally connected at the ends to the yoke and walking beam, respectively, so as to permit the movement of the, yoke in the direction of the length of the rod 86. To prevent accidental displacement of the rope 71 from the sheave 83 a guard. 93 extends from the yoke around that portion of the sheave from whence the rope 71 passes to the crown pulley or sheave 70. I

The sheave 84 is loosely mounted upon a rod 94, the ends of which are seated in elongated recesses 95 in the side members of the walking beam frame 18, and this rod while free to move lengthwise of the recesses 95 is retained therein by U-bolts 96 carried by the side members ofthe walking formed at'their ends where fast to the rod beam in spaced relation to the recesses 95. The rod 94 has connected thereto at spaced points other rods 97 extending from the rod 94 ..through an end cross piece 98 of the walking beam frame, and this cross piece carries abutment blocks 99 for springs 100 surrounding the rods'97 on the side of the cro s piece 98 remote from the rod 94, the springs being held to the respective rods by 'nuts 10], and interposed washers, whereby the tension of the springs may be adjusted by screwing the nuts 101 to a greater or less extent on the rods 97. The sheave 84 is free to rotate on the rod 94 and may move lengthwise of the latter, the rods 97 being 94 into eyes102, which by their spacing may const-itute stop members limiting the travel of the sheave 84 lengthwise of the rod 94.

acts as a distributing sheave for the rope or cable 71, while being wound upon the drum 42. This sheave 84, because of the springs 100, will yield to any force superior to the resistance of the springs.

Assuming that the drilling machine is properly positioned and is operating for the drilling of a well, the walking beam at the front end is rising and falling in the customary manner. The spudding sheave 83 causes a rise and fall of the run of the rope extending from the crown sheave or pulley into the well and the drilling tool at the lower end of this rope participates in such movement. lVith a drilling rope or cable of manila or some like substance it is customary to so regulate the machine that the rope or cable stretches a few inches at each stroke at the instant when the drilling bit comes into contact with the rock. The steel wire cable or rope is far more durable than Manila rope, but is practically inextensible and prior attempts at its use have been. either partially or wholly unsuccessful. By the present invention the difliculties heretofore preventing the use of steel wire cable or rope are overcome by cushioning every portion of the drilling machine to which the rope is attached or which it engages. In the first place the winding drum is held against rotative movement during the drilling operation by the engagement of the worm gear 43 with the worm 61, except such fractional rotative movement asis, permitted by the yielding of the spring 6.7. Again, the distributing sheave 84 is so mounted that it will yield to stress tending to compress the springs 100 and the spudding sheave 83 will move in a direction to compress the spring 91. The crown pulley or sheave 70 being mounted upon the float ing frame 68 will likewise yield to a force suilicient to compress the spring 76, such yielding, however, being of a limited extent determined by the space defined between the bosses 74 and 75. Any shock, therefore, which would be transmitted through the wire cable or rope 71 to the drilling machinery if the cable were not cushioned at every point is prevented by the cushioning means. During the down stroke/of the walking beam the spring 91 is compressed, thus cushioning the shock which would ("-thcrwise come upon the machinery because of the inextensible was cable 71. During this down stroke the spring 91 remains under compression until the drilling tool approaches the limit of its upstroke, when the recoil of the'spring will act upon the rope v roac es absent, wherefore the length of stroke of the drilling tool is increased-besides providing an elastic connection between the driving power and the tools employed.

The spring 76 supporting the floating frame 68 is usually made stiff enough to normally support about twice the weight of the drilling tools, for when the walking beam is moving downwardly the pressure upon the pulley 70 is equal to about twice the weight of the drilling tool being lifted and the spring 76 is readily regulated by the bolt 77 to tools of different weights. By this means the spring 76 is not compressed until the force exerted on the crown pulley 70 is somewhat in excess of twice the weight of the drilling tools. The bosses or buffers 74 and T5 prevent the crushing or breaking of the spring by being repeatedly closed clear down in the event of excessive force be ing exerted on the crown pulley. v The spring T6 remains normally inactive during the up and down stroke of the drilling tool except when the drilling tool has reached that limit of its down stroke determined by the length of the rope or cable 71 when the momentum of the drilling tool being, resisted by the rope or cable because of its inextensibility will cause a compression of the spring 76 at that instant of time when the rope or cable 71 is under a great strain. At such instant the drilling bit will lack a few inches of reaching the bottom of the bore hole, but the momentum of the heavy drilling tool will, by bringing an additional pressure on the crown pulley 70, cause the spring 76 to yield enough to permit the drilling bit to deliver its blow upon the bottom of the bore hole, and immediately thereafter the reaction of the spring 76 will cause the lifting of the drilling tool from the bottom of the bore hole. This action is of great advantage in drilling for at the time when the drilling tool impinges on the rock at the bottom of the bore hole the force of the blow causes a vibration of the drilling tool and the spring 76 through its reaction on the drilling cable lifts or withdraws the tool during its time of vibration. Furthermore, the drilling bit which otherwise has a constant tendency to wedge itself in thebottom of the hole will come away freely, thus to a great extent obviating the necessity for jars on the drilling tools. In addition to all this the yieldable crown pulley or sheave accommodates itself more or .less to unevenness of the bottom of the bore hole. Owing to the uneven hardness of the rock it often happens that there is quite a variation from stroke to stroke in the distance which the drilling tool descends before firmly striking the bottom and the yieldable crown pulley will cause the drilling cable or rope to become taut and rigid at theinstant of impact, whether, the drilling tool descends more or less than the normal distance before striking the bottom of thebore hole.

The yieldable sheave mounting at the upper end of the derrick has a further advantage. In order to drill successfully with cable opera-ted drilling tools, the latter must be rotated through a few degrees between each two strokes, and such movement is automatically accomplished by the cushioned sheave 70. At the instant when the drilling tool on its downward movement strikes the rock, the wire rope or cable being very taut will under the strain tend to untwist throughout that portion of its length from the drilling tool to the sheave 70, untwisting beyond this point being resisted by the friction of the rope or cable in the crown pulley. The twist so to speak will run out at the tool end of the rope or cable, thereby causing the tool to rotate slightly on its longitudinal axis during the upstroke. By the timethe tool has reached the upper limit of its stroke the cable will have slackened and the tool will then descend in that position without any torsional force from the slack cable. On the next upstroke the tool will be displaced rotatably again. As the torsional tendency of the cable will vary from stroke to stroke owing to the constant variation or unevenness in the bottom of the bore hole, the drilling bit will but rarely descend in the same position for two successive'strokes.

When the drilling tool is being lifted from the bottom of the hole or bore, the cable 71 will have a tendency to unwind from the reel 42, since the drilling cable is inextensible and consequently the resistance the drilling tool offers runs sharply back to the reel. This thrustis taken up by the spring 67, thereby preventing undue chafing upon the reel and also serving to take up any back lash, which there may be at that instant in the reel end of the cable between the reel and the distributingsheave 84. When it is desirable to feed the cable to compensate for the deepening of the well, the shaft 62 is rotated by means of the crank 66 and the worm 61 will cause a rotation of the worm gear 48, togteher with the shaft 41, and reel 42, thus paying out an appropriate amount of cable. 'When the drill is to be lifted from the well by winding the cable on the reel 42, the friction wheel 44 is brought into engagement with the friction wheel and power being applied to the power shaft 36 in a proper direction the shaft 41 is rotated and at once causes a movement of the shaft 62 in the direction of its length until out of engagement with the worm wheel 43, thus no longer interfering with free rotative movement of the reelby the prime mover. When it is desired to flock the reel against accidental rotation .is only necessary to move the shaft 62 until the worm 61 is again in engagement with the worm wheel 48, when a few turns of the shaft will move the spring 67 into engagement with the bearing bracket 64 and the worm wheel and reel arethen locked against unwinding movement except the slight movements permitted by the compression of the spring 67 and such unwinding as is designedly produced by turning the shaft 62 by means of the crank 66.

By the present invention the inextensible steel rope or cable 71 is rendered effectively as longitudinally elastic as a Manila or like rope, and all the advantages due to the use of a steel cable are obtained. At no point from and including the winding reel for the cable to the drill carrying end is there an unyieldingconnection with the drilling machine, but every point of contact of the cable with the parts carrying it and including the direction changing sheaves have cushion mountings to take up the shocks which would otherwise be transmitted to the machine because of the inexten sible nature of a steel cable, and it is because of such inextensible characteristic of the steel cable that it will automatically untwist to a slight extent at each operation of the drill to turn the drill sufiiciently to cause it to strike fresh surfaces at the lower end of the bore at each active stroke.

What is claimed is 1. In a well drilling. machine provided with a metallic tool rope or cable, cushioned direction-changing sheaves for the rope or cable, means for acting on the rope or cable to alternately lift the tool end thereof and release it to the action of gravity, and a winding drum for the rope or cable provided with constantly active cushioned means for holding the drum against rotation by said rope or cable in a direction tending to unwind the rope from the drum.

2. In a well drilling machine provided with a metallic tool rope or cable and a walking-beam actuatingmeans for the rope or cable, a cushioned derrick sheave for the rope or cable, a cushioned spuddi-ng sheave on the walking beam, a cushioned distributing sheave on the walking beam, and a winding reel or drum for the rope or cable provided with constantly active cushioned means for holding the drum against rotation by said rope or cable in a direction tending to unwind the rope from the drum.

3. In a well drilling machine provided with a metallic tool rope or cable and with a walking beam actuating means for the rope or cable, an elastically mounted derrick sheave for sustaining the tool carrying portion of the rope or cable, an elastically mounted spudding sheave, and an elastically mounted distributing sheave for the rope or cable, the spudding sheave and distributper end of the derrick to move lengthwise thereof and extending above the said upper end, a compression spring carried by the derrick below and engaging the lower end of the supporting frame to uphold the same, and a derrick sheave for the tool rope or cable of the machine carried by said supporting frame at a point above the upper end of the derrick.

5. In a well drilling machine prpvided with a derrick and a metallic tool supporting rope, a supporting frame mounted in the upper end of the derrick and slidable endwise thereof, said frame extending above the upper end of the derrick, a sheave for theirope carried by the frame above the upper end of the derrick, and another sheave mounted in the upper endof the derrick within and held against participation in the endwise movements of the slidable frame.

6. In a well drilling machine provided with a derrick and a metallic tool rope or cable, cushioned direction-changing sheaves for the rope or cable including a sheave mounted in the upper end of the derrick for receiving said rope and a spring support for said sheave acting in opposition to the pull of the rope and of a stiffness to be substantially unyieldable to the force exerted thereon by the lifting of the drilling tool, means for acting on the rope or cable to alternately lift the tool end thereof and release it to the action of gravity, and winding means for the end of the rope or cable re mote from the tool end and provided with constantly active cushioned means "for normallyholding the winding means against unwinding movements due to the action of the rope or cable. I

7. In a well drilling machine, a walking beam actuating means, a spudding sheave, an elastic mounting therefor carried by the walking beam, and pivoted inelastic connections extending between the elastic mounting for the spudding sheave and the walk-- ing beam.

8. In a well drilling machine, a walking beam actuating means in the form of a frame provided with a cross piece, a rod mounted in the cross piece to move in the direction of its length through said cross piece, said rod having a'yoke at one end, a spring carried by the rod and tending to hold the yoke. end of the rod against the cross piece, a sheave carried by the yoke, and link connections between the yoke end of the rod and the walking beam frame.

'9. in a well drilling machine provided with a walking beam. actuating means for a tool supporting cable, a winding reel or drum for the cable, and a distributing sheave on the walking beam in operative relation to the winding reel or drum and movable along the walking beam toward and from the drum and also movable la rally with respect to said walking beam, ind elastic constraining means also carried by the walking beam and tending to move the distribut ing sheave away from the drum.

10. In a well drilling machine, an actuating walking beam means for a tool carrying rope or cable, a winding reel or drum for the cable, and a distributing sheave structure for the'rope or cable comprising a rod or bar mounted slidably on the walking beam structure, a. distributing sheave mounted on the rod or bar for rotative movement thereon and movable lengthwise of the bar, spaced rods connected at one end to the'bar and there constituting sto-pmembers for the distributingmovement oi the sheave, said bars being carried by the other ends of the walking beam structure, and springs on the bars tendingto move the sheave carrying rod or bar in a direction away from'the winding reel or drum.

11. In a well drilling machine provided with a tool rope, a winding reel or drum for said tool rope, actuating means for the rope between the drum and tool, and a cushioned member in constant holding relation to the drum for preventing unwinding movements of said drum under the strain of the rope when in action.

12. In a well drilling machine provided with a tool rope, a winding reel or drum for said rope, actuating means for the rope between the drum and tool, and a cushioned member in constant holding relation to the drum for preventing unwinding movements of said drum under the strain of the rope when in action, said cushioned holding member-comprising a worm wheel permanently connected to the drum, a worm engaging the worm wheel, an operating shaft for the worm, and a spring engaging the worm in opposition to the unwinding tendency of the rope or cable.

13. In a well drilling machine, a winding reel or drum for a tool supporting rope or -CEXblQ, a worm gear constantly connected therewith, a worm engaging the worm gear, a longitudinally movable, shaft to which the worm is rigidly secured, and a spring opposing the longitudinal movement of the shaft in one direction, said shaft being mounted for free movement in the other direction.

14 In a well drilling machine, a winding reel or drum for a tool supporting rope or cable, a worm gear constantly connected therewith, a worm engaging the worm gear,-

a. longitudinally movable shaft to which the worm is rigidly secured, and a spring on the shaft opposing the longitudinal movement of the shaft in one direction, said shaft being freely movable in the other direction and provided with a manipulating handle for turning the worm at will to rotate the reel or drum. 5

15. In a well drilling machine, a winding reel or drum for a tool carrying rope or cable, means acting on the rope between the drum and tool carried by the rope for causing reciprocatory movement of the tool, means for rotating the reel or drum for winding the rope or cable thereon, and other means for rotating the reel or drum movable wholly out of engagement therewith when the drum is rotated to wind the rope or cable'thereon and provided with cushioning means for resisting rotation of the drum in the direction to unwind the rope or cable beyond a fractional rotative movement, said second named means when in operative position preventing all unwinding movements of the drum.

16. In a well drilling machine, a winding reel or drum fora tool carrying rope or cable, power driving means for the reel or drum, a worm wheel constantly connected to the reel or drum, a worm for actuating the worm wheel, a longitudinally movable shaft to which the worm is rigidly connected, bearings for the shaft in spaced relation to opposite ends of the worm when in the active position, and a spring carried by the shaft between the worm and one of the bearings, said shaft having a manipulating member for rotating and moving it longitudinally, and the worm having. a range of movement with the shaft toward the bearing remote from that engaged by the spring to permit disengagement of the worm from the worm wheel.

17. In a well drilling machine provided with a tool carrying rope or cable, an actuating means for the rope or cable for imparting reciprocatory movements to the tool, a winding drum or reel for the tool carrying cable, and cushioning means for holding the drum or reel at all times against rotation during the reciprocatory movements of the tool, said cushioning means being movable to wholly disengage from the drum or.-reel on and by the rotation of the drum in a direction to wind the rope or cable thereon.

18. In a well drilling machine provided with a metallic tool rope or cable, cushioned direction changing sheaves for the rope or cable, means for actuating the rope or cable to impart reciprocatory movements to the tool, and a winding drum'for the rope or cable provided with constantly active cushioned means for holding it against rotation and constructed to rotate the drum at will.

19. In a well drilling machine, a walkingbeam-actuating means, a distributing sheave/,3

a mounting for the sheave on which the latter is free to move in a direction transversely of the walking-beam, and said mounting having connections with the walking-beam permitting movements of the sheave in the direction of the length of the walking-beam, and elastic means on the walking-beam con nected to the sheave mounting and constructed to constrain it toward one limit of its movements longitudinally of the walking-beam, and to yield to superior forces tending to move the mounting in the other direction lengthwise ot' the Walking-beam.

20. In a well drilling machine provided with a drill rope, a yoke-beam actuating means for the drill rope, a spudding sheave tor the drill rope located near one end of the walking beam, a support for the sheave having an inelastic connection with the walking beam extending toward the other end of the latter, and an elastic connevtion between the ROBERT M. DOWN IE. JAMES L. DOWNIE. HARRY F. TURNER.

\Vitnesses for Robert M. Downie:

R. G. FORBES, F. W. RANsoM.

.Witnesses for James L. Downie:

ABBA A. J ORDAN, L. E. IRVINE.

lVitnesses for H. E. Turner:

R. B. DnNsMoRE, A. L. JONES. 

